Enhancing the spirit and culture of the San Ramon Valley, 200 artists will gather for the Danville Fine Arts Faire, June 19-20 along Hartz Avenue in the heart of downtown Danville. This premiere fine arts festival, sponsored by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Danville, is in its 19th year of showcasing the best artists at their crafts.
Painters, potters, jewelers, photographers, glass artists, sculptors and more—all from the western states gather from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. both days to showcase their art in four blocks between Diablo Road & Hartz Way.
In addition, watch artists in action as they re-create scenes from the Sistine Chapel and other Renaissance masterpieces at the must-see Weekend with the Masters street painting, presented by Diablo Magazine. Talented artists work in chalk for two days on12x12 foot squares of pavement on Prospect Street, with a 10x15 foot Apollo and Daphne as a highlight.
“The Danville Fine Arts Faire is a tremendous opportunity to show off Danville and draw people from surrounding areas,” says Melony Newman, president and CEO of the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce.
“The Weekend with the Masters street painting is not something typically found in art fairs, and it’s amazing to watch artists transform a piece of pavement into incredible art. It’s breathtaking,” she says.
As you stroll among the artists, Lisa Lynne on harp, Kaweh with Latin guitar and Jeffrey Michael on keyboards will entertain from strategic street corners. A Beverage Garden, hosted by the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, will serve microbrews and fine wines, and plenty of food will be offered by food vendors.
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Dublin Cadillac, located on Church Street will be providing test-drives. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400. See you at the Faire.
# # #
top of page
An array of 200 diverse artists take center stage at the Danville Fine Arts Faire June 19 and 20, along Hartz Avenue in downtown Danville. These gifted artists can be considered some of the best at their craft in glass, painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry making and more. Here are some profiles of just a few of the talented artists gathered for a weekend of art and culture.
Glass artist Elaine Hyde likes to create surprise as well as art. Her one-of-a-kind glass vessels have metalwork caps or attachments that detach to be worn as jewelry.
“I pick out gems to match the glass,” says the multi-talented Los Oso artist. Removable pieces, sliding tubular beads and precious metals such as gold and silver are incorporated into intricate pieces of blown glass.
Influenced by Art Nouveau period and the sense of discovery and complexity in Faberge eggs, Elaine Hyde’s (elainehyde.com) work is a bit like a beautiful puzzle. The delicate pieces are iridescent with the Luster finish of Tiffany.
Elaine started as a glass blower then added skills as a metalworker. “Anything to do with fire, I’m all over it,” she says. Glass is much faster and metalwork takes more with the finishing involved. Combine both and you have Elaine Hyde’s works of heat and fire.
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page
Gerald and Kelly Hong create ceramic vessels that call to mind ancient forms but with a contemporary sensibility.
“We try to make work that looks old and new at the same time. It could come from a culture long ago but is still modern and fits into a modern home,” says Kelly Hong.
Inspired by nature, the Petaluma couple creates raku pieces with an Asian design sense. “The pieces we make together we could never make apart. Our two minds work as one in a collaborative process,” says Kelly (geraldandkellyhong.com). She hopes people are touched on an emotional level by their work and that the pieces have a calming effect.
“We’re influenced by ancient Asian art,” she says, describing pieces where woodblock plates of Buddhist stories are pressed into clay. “The whole Asian design sense, we’re borrowing from history that way.”
The Hongs fashion balanced, harmonious imagery, graced with the textures of smoke and fire in which it is made.
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page
The only trick photographer Jeffrey Murray uses to create his incredible images is patience and hard work.
“Behind every photo is two to three weeks of preparation, hiking to a remote spot to get the right light,” says the native of Danville. The fine art landscapes he captures are not manipulated in any way and are a result of the unique and natural light found in nature.
Jeffrey’s photography (JeffreyMurrayphotography.com ) is more than being in the right place at the right time. Many times, the image is composed in his mind’s eye, and then it’s his job to search it out.
“It’s not just discovering, but making it up in my head and finding it,” he says.
One of the photographer’s favorite locations is the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. “It looks like a fairy tale with hundreds of waterfalls,” he says. “Mother nature is not going to show you her best unless you spend some time there.”
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page
Danville’s new resident artist wants to create her own original style. Painter Lana Rak uses oils to create cityscapes, abstracts, plein air and figurative works with an Impressionistic touch.
“I am always consciously trying to work on my style to show movement, to show color and express passion through my own language of brushstrokes and my own selection of composition,” says the Ukrainian native.
“I love figurative work. It is the hardest to paint and requires very precise drawing, but to me it’s the most rewarding,” she says.
Lana (LanaRak.com) paints consistently and each finished painting generates the idea for the next, creating a series of images. Her studies have taught her a variety of styles, and since moving to the Golden State nine years ago, she enjoys the California tradition of plein air, painting in the outdoors.
“It’s such a beautiful place,” she says, describing the positive influence of the environment. “I think it’s one of the better places to live for an artist.”
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page
The stones speak to jewelry maker Sassi LaMuth. “If you’re really drawn to certain stones there’s a connection there.”
The Berkeley artist designs pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings and more in silver, gold and copper, adorned with semi-precious stones from around the world.
Inspired by Scandinavian design, her work is clean, simple and beautifully done. Each piece is built and designed around specially chosen stones.
“I literally put a piece of stone on silver, draw around that, and then add to it,” she says. The multi-layer pieces, that’s really the fun part.”
Sassi likes to say each piece takes about an hour and a half and thirty years, the time she’s spent designing.
“I love stones. I originally did more metalworking, in silver and gold, but I had a big rock collection as a kid,” says Sassi (Sassilamuthjewelry.com).
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page
Imagine Gian Lorenzo Bermini’s classic image of Apollo and Daphne ready to leap from the pavement at your feet. This is one of five works by Renaissance masters that will be re-created by Street Painting artists June 19 and 20.
In addition to Santa Clara artists Cheryl and Wayne Renshaw’s 10x15 foot, 3-D image, scenes from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Jan Vermeer’s Girl with the Red Hat will be rendered in chalk on Prospect Street.
This creative tribute to the masters has become a must-see when visiting the Danville Fine Arts Faire. Artists Hien Nguyen of Oakland, Shirley Lehner-Rhoades of Scotts Valley, Alice Crittenden of Santa Barbara and Cecelia Linayao of San Diego have only two days to interpret well-known images in 12’x12’ squares.
The Renshaws, of landscape design company WR Architects, construct several street paintings a year as a hobby and have the art down to a science.
“We enjoy the interaction,” says Cheryl, who chooses scenes that the public will recognize. “People can pose with the ‘sculpture.’ ”
The Weekend With the Masters is presented by Diablo Magazine.
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page
Street corner musicians serenade
One of the best ways to enjoy the more than 200 artists at the Danville Fine Arts Faire June 19 and 20, is to the sounds of live music.
Street corner musicians Lisa Lynne on Celtic harp, Kaweh strumming Latin sounds on the guitar and Jeffrey Michael playing keyboards will serenade as you stroll among the many talented artists. These musicians will perform throughout the weekend as festival-goers visit with the artists, watch the street painters and enjoy the food and beverages.
The Danville Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the Beverage Garden, serving fine wines and microbrews. While no alcohol beverages are allowed outside of this area, you can relax with friends, discuss the art and listen to music.
A variety of foods will be offered by the many vendors at the Faire in downtown Danville, as well as at the many fine dining restaurants throughout this quaint town.
Admission is free, as is parking on all city-owned lots and spaces near the event throughout the weekend. Find out more at www.mlaproductions.com or call (925) 837-4400.
# # #
top of page |
